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Am I "wrong" for wanting a short-scale bass?

#21
A close friend of mine who's been gigging 20ish or more years uses short scales exclusively. He's not a small guy, just has shoulder issues. He's got a Fender Select Precision in immaculate condition, but he only gigs with his Ibanez TMB30.
 
#22
chris_b said:
The answer is play what you prefer to play, but all the "issues" you mention boil down to lack of confidence, a lack of experience and probably a less than perfect technique. Size only matters if you're not doing it right! Get some lessons so that you can fix all these "problems".
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lfmn16 said:
You are not wrong for wanting one. You are wrong if you think you need one. Barring some physical abnormality, you should be able to play a 34" scale bass with no problem, using proper technique. Some people, even with excellent technique, prefer them; what you want is personal preference.
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Exactly what they said. Size doesn't really matter: There are plenty of examples of short individuals playing long scale bass guitar and even upright bass (approx. 43'' scale length). With proper technique you can play whatever instrument you want...

...but you certainly wouldn't be wrong for wanting a short scale, either. I mean, if it's good enough for Mike Watt...
 
#23
Play what you like.

What I consider "wrong" is not liking short-scale basses, it's assuming you "ought" to like short-scales or "have" to play short-scales because a) you play guitar or b) you're short/have small hands/etc. (the usual suspects...). Lots of guitarists play full-scale just fine and so do lots of petite people.

But if you just prefer short-scales, play short-scales.
 
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#25
Frank77 said:
Exactly what they said. Size doesn't really matter: There are plenty of examples of short individuals playing long scale bass guitar and even upright bass (approx. 43'' scale length). With proper technique you can play whatever instrument you want...

...but you certainly wouldn't be wrong for wanting a short scale, either. I mean, if it's good enough for Mike Watt...
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And Stanley Clarke, who I believe had long fingers, played a short scale. I could never figure that one out. I had a hofner for a short time and just never got comfortable on it.
 
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#26
Get a short scale if you want a short scale! There are many great models to choose from these days, from beginner models to boutique. Many advantages to ss, plus they’re just fun.

Lots of fans of shorties here on tb!
 
#28
Guess by now you know you're not wrong. I have short, medium and long scales as I have small and arthritic hands that make fretting 34s a little uncomfortable, at least for fretless, which sort of requires accuracy.

I dig and gig them all. Get what works now. You can always buy more later.

I did.
 
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#33
mike1123 said:
Yo. I'm a guitarist (10+ yrs) trying to get the hang of bass. I also happen to be a pretty small dude.

I want to play bass, and have found short-scales (Ibanez Mikro) super easy to play, even compared to really nice 34" basses. If I had to do a last minute gig, I'd definitely feel MUCH more confident playing a short scale bass.

Should I just suck it up, and get used to a normal bass? Or should I embrace the short scale?
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Nothing wrong with a short scale. Nothing wrong with a normal scale. Play what is comfortable for you. You can get some good sounds out of a short scale and those ibanezes are a lot of fun. You can always get a normal scale later if you want.
 
#34
that depends entirely on what you do with it once you get it.

serious answer: go for it, short scales are loads of fun to play and there are plenty of decent models out there :)

(I have a humble Squier VM Mustang that I enjoy very much.)
 
#35
mike1123 said:
Yo. I'm a guitarist (10+ yrs) trying to get the hang of bass. I also happen to be a pretty small dude.

I want to play bass, and have found short-scales (Ibanez Mikro) super easy to play, even compared to really nice 34" basses. If I had to do a last minute gig, I'd definitely feel MUCH more confident playing a short scale bass.

Should I just suck it up, and get used to a normal bass? Or should I embrace the short scale?
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there's probably going to be less of an adjustment period moving from guitar (usually somewhere between 24" and 25.5" scale) to bass playing a short scale.

btw, my 6' 7" husband sometimes picks up one of my mikros and plays it.
 
#37
I play 30" 34" and 35" inch scale basses and I like them all. Short scale feels more like playing guitar which can be a plus, though the higher string tension on a long scale can also be a plus, especially for drop tuning.
 
#38
snark filter on

Yes, you are very wrong for wanting an inferior, short-scale bass guitar. Even that ditz McCartney had the good sense to put his POS Hofner down the moment he had a decent alternative. The only reason he plays it again now is marketing, and by the skill of luthiers that at least made it a playable instrument (for a short-scale).

snark filter off
 
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